Excerpt
from a letter from John Adair Bell and Stand Watie to the Arkansas Gazette on
the murders of the Ridges and Boudinot:

On
Saturday of the same week, it being the 22d of June, a party of 20 to 25 Indians
proceeded to the house of John Ridge, on Honey creek, in the north part of the
Cherokee nation, and having surrounded the house with their rifles, three of
them forced his doors, drew him from his bed amidst the screams of his wife and
children, and having given him 25 stabs in his body, left him dead n his yard.
Maj. Ridge had started on the previous day, to Vineyard, in Washington county, Arkansas. He stayed on Friday
night at the house of Mr. Ambrose Harnage, forty miles south of his son’s
residence. He was waylaid about 10 o’clock on the same morning, by a party of
Indians, five miles west of Cane-hill, and shot from a high precipice which
commanded the road. It is reported that about 10 or 12 guns were fired at him;
only five rifle balls, however, penetrated his body and head. Thus was the aged
chief murdered from am ambush, without knowing the dastardly hands who sought
his life. The murder occurred in Washington county. About the same hour, four
Indians came to Mr. Boudinot, and after a friendly salutation, asked Mr.
Boudinot to walk from where his hands were at work, and give them some
medicine. Mr. B. who was ever found foremost in acts of charity, obeyed the
summons. Shortly after he left the workmen he was struck by these Indians in
the back and head, and brought to the earth, with tomahawks, and then stabbed
several times in the back with a bowie knife. These are the circumstances
attending the deaths of these individuals.

It is
notorious, that although the Ridge’s and Boudinot resided at the distance of
seventy miles apart, yet report of John Ridge’s murder was circulation all
through the rank of Ross’s party, before B’s death was known to his immediate
friends. This can perhaps be best explained by the fact that Boudinot and Ross
residing about one mile apart. It is equally true that a strong guard were
collected around Ross and Gunter [Edward Gunter, a prominent leader of the Ross
faction] on the same morning; and Ross has kept a guard of from 200 to 600
persons about his person ever since. It is worthy of remark that Ross promises
this guard at the rate of 25 dollars each per month, and gives his due bills to
individuals, payable of the faith of the national treasury. These due bills are
bought by his son-in-law and brother with goods. As soon as the undersigned,
and some others of the proscribed, could pay the duties of interment to the
bodies of their friends, the repaired to Fort Gibson, where they remained for
ten days. They there learned upon good authority that they were unsafe while in
the power of Ross and his partizans. Since that time they have been generally
embodied, for their protection.

The
convention of John Ross assembled, or rather his guard increased, on the first
of July, as anticipated. The subjoined manifesto or decree [giving amnesty to
the murderers of the Ridges and Boudinot] will show how far their proceedings
were intended to affect the remaining victims of their malice. At the same time
these papers were drawn up, a resolution was passed, freely pardoning the
murderers of Messrs. Ridges and Boudinot, and all this, too, after Mr. Ross’s
denial of any knowledge or participation in the matter, and his promise to aid
in securing the murderers. Of the documents everyone will judge for himself;
but to us they sound very much like the language of an usurper, who first seizes
upon the throne, and then requires all the people who have rightly opposed him
to swear allegiance to his pretensions. How far the Cherokees west united with
the assumptions of Ross and his faction, they will in due time disclose for
themselves. If Mr. Ross expects us to purchase our lives by swearing to the
infamous oath which he put in our mouths, he very much mistakes the blood which
runs in our veins. Sooner let us fall by the hand of the midnight assassin,
than have our names loaded with infamy, and handed down to posterity as
traitors, who had ‘saved their country from total destruction, by making the
best treaty ever made for any Indians!” – The historian will do justice to the
memories of the fallen. We will never cause their blood to ride in judgment
against us, by casting obloquy on their characters. Eight of our friends have
abandoned us. [Eight Treaty Party members apologized for signing the treaty in
return for amnesty from the Ross faction.] Be the matter with them and their
God. We are conscious that we have gained many where we have lost one. The
threatened denunciation still hangs over us. Well, if the impending vengeance
must fall, let it come upon us with clear consciences.